[Usage of flocculation in emergent control of algal bloom in drinking water supplying reservoir].

An Anabaena circinalis bloom appeared in a reservoir for supplying drinking water in the south of China, in April 2006. Phytoplankton scums gathered and floated on the surface of the whole reservoir especially on the area of water intake, and the cell density of phytoplankton, cyanobacteria and Anabaena circinalis was as high as 7.3 x 10(7), 7.2 x 10(7), 4.1 x 10(7) cells x L(-1) respectively. To maintain drinking water supplying, an emergency program was initiated to control the cyanobacterial bloom. The zone immediately adjacent to the water intake was divided into two small zones by fishing nets and waterproof curtains to modify the water flow. Iron-based flocculants were then applied to control the algal bloom. As a result, the density of the phytoplankton decreased greatly, and at the first day the cell densities of phytoplankton, cyanobacterial, Anabaena circinalis decreased to 5.3 x 10(6), 4.7 x 10(6), 2 x 10(6) cells x L(-1) respectively, and the removal of them reached up to 93%, 94%, 95% respectively. The average of phytoplankton cell density was 1.2 x 10(7) cells x L(-1) and a highest density was 2.0 x 10(7) cells x L(-1) during the treatment from 22 to 30 April, while Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta slightly increased. These encouraging results suggest that the flocculants used are efficient at removing Cyanobacteria.